Illustrative Mathematics
Traffic Jam
How many cars would be involved in a traffic jam 12 miles long? A slightly ambiguous writing prompt gives learners the opportunity to practice making reasonable assumptions to tackle a real-life problem. Few details are given, so they...
Illustrative Mathematics
The Florist Shop
A real-world approach to common multiples asks learners to find different groups of flowers based on their multiples. Useable as a class activity or independent exercise, they will have to organize their thoughts to explain the totals of...
Curated OER
The Notorious Four-Color Problem
Take a walk through time, 1852 to 2005, following the mathematical history, development, and solution of the Four-Color Theorem. Learners take on the role of cartographers to study a United States map that is to be colored. One rule: no...
EduGAINs
Data Management
Using a carousel activity, class members gain an understanding of the idea of inferences by using pictures then connecting them to mathematics. Groups discuss their individual problems prior to sharing them with the entire class. The...
5280 Math
Factory Functions
Solve a real-life problem using function-building skills. Presented with an open-ended question, scholars complete a checklist to create and justify a solution in an interesting algebra project. The checklist asks for justifications of...
Insurance Zebra
Insurance Curriculum for Middle and High School Teachers
Liability, deductible, premium ... what do these words mean, and how do they relate to insurance? Scholars complete a pre-test, matching vocabulary activity, and insurance timeline worksheet and become familiar with these terms. Next,...
EngageNY
Volume and Cavalieri’s Principle
Take a slice out of life. The ninth section in a series of 23 introduces classmates to Cavalieri's principle using cross sections of a cone and stacks of coins. Class members participate in a discussion using pyramids and how Cavalieri's...
Curated OER
Teach Financial Literacy Through Mathematics
Students need to learn the important life skill of managing money.
Curated OER
The Five Life Zone Research Project
Students study five of the seven life zones in North America. In this journalism lesson students use the Scientific Method working in teams. They use lab equipment and technology to create a presentation on five of the seven life zones...
Curated OER
Half-Life
For this half-life worksheet, students are guided through the steps of solving radioactive decay problems. They solve nine problems finding rates of decay, half-life and quantities of substances remaining after given amounts of time.
Curated OER
City Life or Desert Life
Students study the Anza-Borrego Desert. They complete the Patterns Project and survey the history of San Diego. They present their research to the class in the form of poster or report.
Curated OER
Party Math
Young scholars create a spreadsheet that they will use to plan a small party or outing. They calculate expenses and stay within a budget amount for their party.
Curated OER
Completing Simple Tax Forms
Twelfth graders practice filling out IRS 1040 EZ forms. They discuss various ways people pay taxes. They assess the importance of W-2 forms and apply skills using the IRS tax table to compute how much money is owed or returned.
Curated OER
Counting Money and Making Change
Students count collections of coins and one-dollar bills. They solve problems and learn to use the dollar sign ($) with the decimal point to represent money amounts. This lesson is important as a foundation for future math concepts in...
Curated OER
Solving Single-Step Word Problems
Math wizards learn the five-step plan to solve math word problems. They investigate the five-step process for solving word problems, and examine the use of code words for each of the operations and solve a problem using the strategies.
Curated OER
The Laws of Sines and Cosines Made Simple!
Students study the law of sine and cosine. In this pre-calculus lesson, students create a triangle and identify the different ratios of a non-right triangle. They use the properties of sine and cosine to solve.
PwC Financial Literacy
Saving and Investing: Investing for the Future
A fine lesson on saving and investing is here for you and your middle schoolers. In it, learners explore the values of time and money, and discover how small amounts of money invested over time can grow into a large "pot of gold." They...
Illustrative Mathematics
Price per Pound and Pounds per Dollar
Help learners understand the concept of unit rate as it is applied to buying beans at a grocery store. The objective is to determine the unit rate in two ways, and then apply each ratio to an additional problem. The attached commentary...
Curated OER
Making Predictions
Learners explore the concept of probabiility and outcome through several decision making activities. Making accurate predictions in daily life including weather forecasting, stock market selections, or job changes are all dependent on...
Curated OER
Investigations into Estimations
Students gain the powerful tools of estimation, prediction, and averaging and discover the importance these tools have in daily living.
Curated OER
Technology Literacy Challenge Grant Learning Unit
First graders explore counting and classification. They sort leaves, create graphs, write sentences for the data in the graphs, develop graphs for shapes, favorite animals, birthdays, and participate in a die prediction game.
Curated OER
Candy Bar Fractions
Young scholars explore the relationship between caloric expenditure and exercise, and see a real world use for fractions as they relate to daily life.
Curated OER
When Life Serves You Lemons!
Students build their own lemonade stand. For this problem solving lesson, students measure the materials needed to build a stand and make lemonade. They find the cost of producing the lemonade and the profit they will make.
Curated OER
Triangles in My Life
Tenth graders investigate where in the real world triangles are used. For this geometry lesson, 10th graders write an essay describing where in their lives triangles are used. They can use food, buildings, clothing or anything triangular...